Well strainer



w. KELLY WELL sTRAtNsa *Filed March 154, 192s April 1924.

Patented Apr. l, 1924.

UNITED STATES- WILLIAM KELLY, 0F GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA.

WELL STRAINER Application led March l5, 1923. Serial No. 625,367.

To all whom t may concern: I

Be it known that I, WILLIAM KELLY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Grand Island, in the county of Hall and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Well Strainers, 0f which the following is a speciication.

lt is frequently found necessary to line at least the lower portion of a bored well with a casingk that will permit water to pass from the outside to the inside of the well, but which will prevent the passage of sand, mud, or other impurities.

This invention relates to an improved construction of such well screens or strain- -ers, and has for an object the provision of Iwhich will not become clogged by use and will function eiliciently as long as desired.

Another object is to construct the screen of noncorroding material which will not deteriorate in the ound.

Other objects will be apparent from the following detail description and the ,appended claims.

ln the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a section of a well with several sections of the device being lowered into place.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a single unit of the framework of the screen.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through a portion of the screen.

Figure d is a cross section through the screen when completed and ready to be lowered into position, the two halves showing slightly different modifications.

rllhe screen is -preferably composed of a plurality of units, thus permitting it to be constructedl of any desired size according to the place in which it is used. Each unit has a body portionl, which will preferably be formed of clay, concrete, terra-cotta or similar substance which will resist the action of the elements in the ground for an indefinite period. It may however be formed of metal or other suitable substance. This body portion 1 has depressions, grooves, or Hutes 2 which may be of varying shapes and sizes as desired, the form illustrated being very satisfactory in practice. At the bottom of these depressions are slots 3 rsand and gra-vel.

holes 6 through which pass cables 7 by means of which the desired units are assembled and caused to register for the purpose vof being lowered into the well, as illustrated in Figure 1. These cables will be attached to the bottom section in any desired manner as indicated in this ligure.

Whatever the particular conguration of the depressions 2., they should taper towards the slots 3 as shown. Each depression is filled with a granular filter bed composed of rlhis filter bed is gradated in size, the coarser materials 9 being placed next to the slots 2, and gradually graded to the outside to a size of gravel or sand which may be suitable to meet existing conditions where the screen is to be used. As here illustrated the outer layers 10 are of relatively 'fine sand. lt is found that this arrangement facilitates the filtration of the water from the outside into the interior of the well and separates the sand and silt very ed'ectively. lt is also found that such a screen does not clog up so uickly as those with other arrangements of t e filter material.

lt may be further noted'that although the cross section of the filter-material near the slots 3 is much smaller than when taken near the outer portion of the depressions 2,'

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the materials permits the water to pass through the lter bed with substantially the same speed for a given amount regardless of the varying cross section of the depressions.

It is necessary to hold the filter material in place in the depressions during the construction of the device and while it is being lowered into the well. rlhis may be accomplished in various ways. l prefer to hold the outer layer in place and attached to the body by means of a glue or cement of such character that it will be dissolved by the action of the water after it is lowered into the well. Such a soluble plastic retaining layer 11 is illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, and at the left hand side of Figure 4. Alternatively it may be accomplished by placing a wrapping of canvas matting or paper 12 as shown at the right hand side of Figure 4. This will soon deteriorate under the action of the water so that it will offer no opposition to the passage of the water. After the screen is placed in the well A, the surrounding dirt will hold the screen in place.

Obviously various changes may be made in the form of the device without departing from the spirit'of the invention. The form of the depressions may be modified, the material of which the body is constructed may be varied, rods or bolts may take the place of the cables 7, and other means for hold'- ing the filter material temporarily in place may be adopted. In general it is to be understood that the invention is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention.

1. A welll strainer comprising a body por-l tion, depressions in the outer surface of said body portion, slots at the bottoms of said depressions communicatin with the interior of the strainer, and gran ar material filling said depressions and gradated from coarse to ine material from the bottoms of the depressions outwardly.

2. A well strainer comprising a body portion, depressions in the outer surface of said -body portion, slots at the bottoms of said depressions communicating with the interior of the strainer, granular material filling said depressions and gradated from coarse to fine material from the bottom of the depressions outwardly, and means for holding the granular material in position.

3. A well strainer comprising a body portion, depressions in the outer surface of said body portion, slots at the bottoms of said depressions communicating with the interior depressions an gradated from coarse to fine material from the bottoms of the depressions outwardly, and solubleemeans for temporarily holding the granular material in position during construction and placing the strainer in the well.`

4. A well strainer comprising a body portion, depressions inthe outer surface of said body portion which taper inwardly, slots at p the bottoms of said depressions communieating with the interior of the strainer, granular material filling said depressions and gradated in size, the coarser material illlng the lnner part of the depressions, and means for temporarily retaining the granular material in place.

5. A'well strainer comprising an annular body portion, depressions in the outer surface of the body portion which decrease in size from the outside inwardly, means at the bottom of the depressions aording commulnication with the interior of the screen, and

granular materials in the depressions which increase in size from the outside inwardly.

6. A well strainer comprising an annular body portion, depressions in the outer surface of the body portion which decrease in size from the outside inwardly, means at the bottom of the depressions affording communication with the interior of the screen, granular materials in the depressions which increase in size from the outside inwardly, and soluble means for temporarily holding the granular material in position during construction and placing of the strainer in the well.

7. A well strainer comprising a body portion provided with openings therethrough, and a body of filter material arranged around the body portion andL over said openings, said filter material being composed of granular particles which decrease in size from the o enings outwardly.

8. A wel strainer comprising a body ortion provided with openings therethrou a body of filter material arrangedaroun the body portion and over said openings, said filter material being composed of granular particles which decrease in size from the openings outwardly, and means for temporarily holding the filter material in position during the construction and placing of the strainer in the well.

9. A well strainer comprising a body ortion provided with openings therethrou a body of filter material arranged aroun the .body portion and over said openings, said of the strainer, (granular material filling said 

